Ambassador Raises Concerns on TIP and Security with Preah

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000520 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, G/TIP C. CHAN-DOWNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KTIP ASEC CB SUBJECT: Ambassador Raises Concerns on TIP and Security with Preah Sihanouk Governor SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Ambassador Rodley called on Preah Sihanouk provincial Governor Sbong Sarath July 21 to discuss cooperation in combating trafficking in persons and pedophilia in the province. She raised concerns about weak prosecution of sex offenders in the provincial courts and the need to focus local prevention efforts on vulnerable families. The provincial administration appears to lack an adequate response to address the challenge of rising crime in the province, despite the threat to its lucrative tourism industry. End Summary. Background on Preah Sihanouk Province -------------- ¶2. (U) Preah Sihanouk province was elevated from a municipality earlier this year, and is composed of four districts. According to the Governor, the province comprises 2,561 square kilometers; forests and mountains make up two thirds of the land, and agriculture land is less than 50 percent of the total area. A population of 182,648 people lives in the province, 108,558 of whom are over 18 years of age. He reported that 50.8 percent of the population work in agriculture, 37.9 work in the service sector, and 11.3 percent are employed in industry. Prosecuting Sex Offenders and Combating TIP -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador applauded police efforts to combat trafficking in persons and arrest sex offenders in the province. She complimented the high level of cooperation between local police and U.S. law enforcement authorities and local NGOs to identify and arrest sex offenders. (Note: Sihanoukville has developed a reputation as an attractive destination for western sexual predators in recent years and several high-profile sex offenders have been arrested in the area. End Note.) However, the Ambassador commented that the local judicial system has been a weak link in prosecuting offenders and urged the Governor to engage his colleagues about this concern. She also expressed her dismay at the decision to release a convicted sex offender from prison for a day to attend to his business interests in the area, describing it as a "stain on Cambodia's honor" and giving the impression that the government is not as serious about these types of crime as it should be. ¶4. (SBU) Having met the previous day with organizations working to �0A;protect children from exploitation, the Ambassador raised her concerns about alarming reports that some parents exploit their own children, selling them to pedophiles, due to poverty and drug and alcohol abuse. She urged the Governor to develop a prevention strategy which works with parents to avoid the abuse of children. ¶5. (SBU) The Deputy Commissioner of the Provincial Police also attended the meeting and provided the Ambassador with an overview of the TIP situation in the province. He explained that trafficking in persons in the province is linked to sexual exploitation, not labor, and trafficking victims are destined for brothels, karaoke parlors, and massage parlors. Local residents are also trafficked to Thailand for sexual exploitation, according to the Deputy Commissioner. He detailed recent efforts to combat TIP, reporting the number of suspects arrested on TIP, prostitution, indecent acts, and pornography charges. (Comment: The inclusion of prostitution and pornography offenses in the Deputy Commissioner's "TIP" statistics illustrates the continued confusion among legal and law enforcement authorities about "trafficking-related" offenses under the RGC's anti-trafficking law. End Comment.) He also shared with the Ambassador a leaflet with a TIP hotline to report suspected cases which the police developed and provide to area businesses, such as hotels, guesthouses, and karaoke parlors in an effort to combat the crime. Rising Crime Threatens Tourism Sector -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador raised concerns regarding security in the province, particularly the increase in crime affecting tourists and resident foreigners. She encouraged the Governor to take urgent action to address the growing problem. She noted that the tourism sector is heavily dependent on security and stressed that mid-range tourists would be discouraged from visiting if the area develops a reputation for being unsafe. ¶7. (SBU) In response, the Governor stated that he was very concerned about providing security for tourists in Sihanoukville and that he plans to improve security in tourist areas. However, he did not elaborate on his administration's strategy to accomplish this goal. Instead, he explained that improving security is a challenge given the limited number of police available to patrol a large area, and conceded that there are gaps in their coverage where crime can occur. Rather than offer a strategy for preventing crime, he PHNOM PENH 00000520 002 OF 002 complained to the Ambassador that offenders commit crimes between 6 and 7 p.m. to take advantage of the time when police "have their rest and eat dinner." He blamed street children and drug addicts for bag snatching, targeting tourists. He held tourists responsible in part for not taking greater precautions for their own safety. He mentioned that in an effort to protect tourists from themselves, foreigners (who are in general inexperienced and accident-prone on motorbikes) are not permitted to rent or ride motorbikes by themselves. (Note: Enforcement of this policy appears to be weak, as Econoff noted that motorbikes are readily available for rent to foreigners in the area. End Note.) Development Priorities for the Province -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Governor highlighted his administration's efforts to improve health care, education, and infrastructure throughout the province. He explained that expansion of health care centers to the local/commune level have reportedly resulted in an eighty percent drop in illnesses (unspecified) in the province. However, he conceded that they still need to strengthen the health sector throughout the province. The Governor reported that the province has five high schools, 15 junior high schools, and a primary school in each commune, and provides training at the community level to reduce illiteracy. New road projects are improving linkages between villages, and larger roads have been upgraded with street light installations and drainage systems. Recognizing the importance of the province's beaches to the tourism sector, the Governor told the Ambassador that his administration plans to improve tourist services by providing parking spaces and areas for sitting near the seaside. ¶9. (SBU) In closing, the Governor expressed his appreciation for the Ambassador's visit to his province and for the recent visits of U.S. Navy ships. The Ambassador highlighted these ship visits as a symbol of the strengthening U.S.-Cambodia relationship. The Governor pledged continued efforts to combat TIP and reduce crime in the province. He was also grateful to the U.S. government for its openness in allowing foreigners to go to the U.S. to study, informing the Ambassador that his two children are currently students in the U.S. RODLEY